FOOTWEAR AND INSERT HAVING THERAPEUTIC LIGHT SOURCE
An insole for an article of footwear includes an insole support and a side-emitting optical light tube on the insole support member. The insole support member includes a top surface and a bottom surface where the top surface faces towards a wearer’s foot when the insole is positioned in the article of footwear and the article of footwear is worn. The side-emitting optical light tube is configured to project radiation having a therapeutic wavelength through the side-emitting optical tube and toward the wearer’s foot. The side-emitting optical light tube includes a side-emitting optical fiber and a jacket made from a light-transmissive material at least partially surrounding the side-emitting optical fiber.
Articles of footwear often include both an upper and a sole. The upper encloses a wearer’s foot, and in some circumstances provides support for the foot during motion. The sole generally provides traction, protection, and also can support the foot. Typically, an article of footwear also includes an insole placed within the upper between the wearer’s foot and the sole to provide additional comfort as well as increased performance for various activities.
Articles of footwear typically do not include lights. For footwear having lights prior art patent documents are typically directed to footwear where the light is directed outward to produce a warning effect or enhance the outward visual effect of the shoe. US 10,806,211 B1 discloses an article of footwear including a light delivery system that is configured to project light toward the foot, ankle and/or leg of the wearer; however, further improvements can be made.
SUMMARYIn view of the foregoing, an insole for an article of footwear includes an insole support and a side-emitting optical light tube on the insole support member. The insole support member includes a top surface and a bottom surface where the top surface faces towards a wearer’s foot when the insole is positioned in the article of footwear and the article of footwear is worn. The side-emitting optical light tube is configured to project radiation having a therapeutic wavelength through the side-emitting optical tube and toward the wearer’s foot. The side-emitting optical light tube includes a side-emitting optical fiber and a jacket made from a light-transmissive material at least partially surrounding the side-emitting optical fiber.
An article of footwear can include an upper, a sole connected to the upper, and the insole described above.
Additionally, an insole for an article of footwear can include an insole support member, a side-emitting optical fiber and an insole liner. The insole support member has a top surface and a bottom surface where the top surface faces towards a wearer’s foot when the insole is positioned in the article of footwear and the article of footwear is worn. The insole support member further defines a channel. The side-emitting optical fiber is received in the channel. The insole liner, which is light-transmissive material in at least one area above the fiber, is positioned at least partially over the side-emitting optical fiber and the top surface.
Moreover, an article of footwear can include an upper, a sole connected to the upper, and the insole described above.
Referring to
The insole assembly 10 includes an insole 12 including an insole support member 14, which may be made of a cushioning material, and an insole liner 16. The insole assembly 10 also includes a light pod 18 to provide the light source capable of providing the therapeutic wavelength. In some embodiments, the insole support member 14 exhibits a layered or partially layered structure. For example and with reference to
The first layer 24 and/or a second layer 26 or other layers or inserts (if provided) can be formed from a cushioning material, such as an EVA resin foam or a soft polyethylene foam. Different layers may be made from different materials, e.g., the first layer 24 may be made from a first material having a first hardness level and the second layer 26 may be made from a second material having a second hardness level.
With reference to
When provided, the channel floor 36 can be offset downwardly from the top surface 28 to provide the channel 34 with a depth d (see
With reference to
The maximum outer dimension of the jacket 52, which will be referred to as an outer diameter (ODJ) although the jacket 52 need not be circular in cross-section but instead could be U-shaped (see
During assembly, the side-emitting light tube 42 (or only the side-emitting optical fiber 40) can be pressed into the channel 34 so that the side-emitting light tube 42 (or only the side-emitting optical fiber 40) is received in the channel 34. With particular reference to
When no channel is provided in the insole support member 14, the side-emitting optical fiber 40 and/or the side-emitting light tube 42 may be retained to the top surface 28 of the insole support member 14 via adhesive and/or stitches, e.g. embroidery stitches. Additionally, the insole liner 16 may also retain the side-emitting optical fiber 40 and/or the side-emitting light tube 42 to the top surface 28 of the insole support member 14 when no channel is provided in the insole support member 14.
With reference to
With reference back to
It will be appreciated that various of the above-disclosed embodiments and other features and functions, or alternatives or varieties thereof, may be desirably combined into many other different systems or applications. Also that various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art which are also intended to be encompassed by the following claims.
Claims
1. An insole for an article of footwear comprising:
- an insole support member having a top surface and a bottom surface, the top surface facing towards a wearer’s foot when the insole is positioned in the article of footwear and the article of footwear is worn; and
- a side-emitting optical light tube on the insole support member, the side-emitting optical light tube configured to project radiation having a therapeutic wavelength through the side-emitting optical light tube and toward the wearer’s foot, the side-emitting optical light tube including a side-emitting optical fiber and a jacket, which is light-transmissive, at least partially surrounding the side-emitting optical fiber.
2. The insole of claim 1, wherein the insole support member includes a channel, and the side-emitting optical light tube is received in the channel.
3. The insole of claim 2, wherein the channel defines a channel floor offset downwardly from the top surface and a lowermost portion of the channel floor is offset downwardly from the top surface between 0.25 mm to 4 mm.
4. The insole of claim 3, wherein an uppermost surface on the side-emitting optical fiber is offset beneath the top surface.
5. The insole of claim 2, wherein the insole support member includes a first layer comprised of a first material having a first hardness level and an additional layer or insert comprised of a second material having a second hardness level, and the channel extends into the additional layer or insert.
6. The insole of claim 1, wherein the jacket has a maximum outer dimension between 0.5 mm and 3 mm.
7. The insole of claim 6, wherein the outer diameter of the side-emitting optical fiber is at least 0.25 mm and less than or equal to 0.5 mm.
8. The insole of claim 1, wherein the jacket is circular in cross section.
9. The insole of claim 1, wherein the light-transmissive material from which the jacket is made is silicone.
10. The insole of claim 9, wherein the light-transmissive material from which the jacket is made has a durometer of at least 50A.
11. The insole of claim 1, wherein the side-emitting optical fiber is movable with respect to the jacket in an axial direction, which is parallel with a longest dimension of the side-emitting optical light tube.
12. The insole of claim 1, wherein the insole support member has an overall shape with a periphery conforming to a traditional footbed of an article of footwear.
13. The insole of claim 12, further comprising an insole liner, which is made from a light-transmissive material, positioned at least partially over the top surface, wherein the insole liner has an overall shape and periphery matching an overall shape and periphery of the top surface of the insole support member.
14. The insole of claim 1, further comprising an extension extending from a periphery of the insole support member, the extension configured to extend outwardly from an opening in the article of footwear configured to receive a wearer’s foot.
15. The insole of claim 14, wherein the side-emitting optical light tube is fixed to the extension.
16. The insole of claim 1, further comprising an insole liner, which is made from a light-transmissive material, positioned at least partially over the top surface.
17. The insole of claim 16, wherein the insole liner has an overall shape and periphery matching an overall shape and periphery of the top surface of the insole support member.
18. The insole of claim 16, wherein the insole liner is a plastic film, a mesh or a fabric.
19. The insole of claim 1, in combination with a light pod including a light source, wherein the side-emitting optical tube is optically connected or optically connectable with the light source.
20. The insole of claim 19, in combination with an article of footwear, wherein the light pod is configured to attach to an outer surface of the article of footwear.
21. An article of footwear comprising:
- an upper;
- a sole connected to the upper; and
- the insole of claim 1.
22. The article of footwear of claim 21, further comprising a light pod including a light source, wherein the side-emitting optical light tube is optically connected to or optically connectable with the light source.
23. The article of footwear of claim 21, wherein the upper includes an opening for receiving a wearer’s foot and a passage extending from inside the upper to an exterior through which the side-emitting optical light tube passes.
24. The article of footwear of claim 23, further comprising a light pod including a light source, wherein the side-emitting optical tube is optically connected to or optically connectable with the light source wherein the light pod is configured to attach to an outer surface of the upper.
25. An insole for an article of footwear comprising:
- an insole support member having a top surface and a bottom surface, the top surface facing towards a wearer’s foot when the insole is positioned in the article of footwear and the article of footwear is worn, the insole support member further defining a channel;
- a side-emitting optical fiber received in the channel; and
- an insole liner, which is light-transmissive in at least one area above the side-emitting optical fiber, positioned at least partially over the side-emitting optical fiber and the top surface.
26. The insole of claim 25, wherein the channel defines a channel floor offset downwardly from the top surface and a lowermost portion of the channel floor is offset downwardly from the top surface between 0.25 mm to 4 mm.
27. The insole of claim 25, wherein the insole support member includes a first layer comprised of a first material having a first hardness level and an additional layer or insert comprised of a second material having a second hardness level, and the channel extends into the additional layer or insert.
28. The insole of claim 25, wherein the side-emitting optical fiber is a side-emitting optical light tube including the side-emitting optical fiber and a jacket made from a light-transmissive material at least partially surrounding the side-emitting optical fiber.
29. The insole of claim 28, wherein the jacket has a maximum outer dimension between 0.5 mm and 3 mm.
30. The insole of claim 29, wherein the outer diameter of the side-emitting optical fiber is at least 0.25 mm and less than or equal to 0.5 mm.
31. The insole of claim 30, wherein the jacket is circular in cross section.
32. The insole of claim 31, wherein the light-transmissive material from which the jacket is made is silicone.
33. The insole of claim 32, wherein the light-transmissive material from which the jacket is made has a durometer of at least 50A.
34. The insole of claim 33, wherein the side-emitting optical fiber is movable with respect to the jacket in an axial direction, which is parallel with a longest dimension of the side-emitting optical light tube.
35. The insole of claim 25, wherein the insole support member has an overall shape with a periphery conforming to a traditional footbed of an article of footwear.
36. The insole of claim 35, wherein the insole liner has an overall shape and periphery matching the overall shape and the periphery of the top surface of the insole support member.
37. The insole of claim 25, further comprising an extension extending from a periphery of the insole support member, the extension configured to extend outwardly from an opening in the article of footwear configured to receive a wearer’s foot.
38. The insole of claim 37, wherein the side-emitting optical fiber is fixed to the extension.
39. The insole of claim 25, in combination with a light pod including a light source, wherein the side-emitting optical fiber is optically connected or optically connectable with the light source.
40. The insole of claim 39, in combination with an article of footwear, wherein the light pod is configured to attach to an outer surface of the article of footwear.
41. An article of footwear comprising:
- an upper;
- a sole connected to the upper; and
- the insole of claim 25.
42. The article of footwear of claim 41, further comprising a light pod including a light source, wherein the side-emitting optical fiber is optically connected to or optically connectable with the light source.
43. The article of footwear of claim 41, wherein the upper includes an opening for receiving a wearer’s foot and a passage extending from inside the upper to an exterior through which the side-emitting optical fiber passes.
44. The article of footwear of claim 43, further comprising a light pod including a light source, wherein the side-emitting optical fiber is optically connected to or optically connectable with the light source wherein the light pod is configured to attach to an outer surface of the upper.
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 15, 2022
Publication Date: Aug 17, 2023
Inventors: Jay Tapper (Wayne, PA), Daniel Bish (New York, NY), Daniel Shuter (New York, NY), Kristien Del Ferraro (Stamford, CT)
Application Number: 17/671,764